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CA-125 rising

laurad91
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Hi I am 31 year female with PCOS. I was referred to gynae for abdominal pain and bloating/swelling. Prior to this my gp tested my ca125 levels - this was actually done, ironically to put my mind at rest! My level was 70 on the 17th of April and was repeated yesterday showing an increase to 82. I am beside myself with worry. My last ultrasound showed normal ovaries but my fear is the cancer is so small it cannot be detected on an ulatrsound and that my levels are going to continue to rise. I have eliminated the other benign reasons why the ca125 could be high. Would appreciate any advice or guindance from someone that's been through this xx

  • Hello and thanks for your post

    The CA125 is a protein found in blood. When the level is raised, this indicates that there is some sort of inflammation in the pelvic area. But it cannot tell the doctor exactly what is causing the inflammation. So it is not specific for ovarian cancer. Other conditions can cause this level to rise such as ovarian cysts, and fibroids. 

    The symptoms of ovarian cancer are also similar to other non-cancerous conditions. This is why doctors will not rely on the CA125 test alone to help diagnose someone. An ultrasound looks at the pelvic area in more detail and is usually very good at identifying any problems with the ovaries

    You can read more about the CA 125 test by clicking here.

    Your doctor will advise you if anything else needs to be done. It may also help you to know that the majority of women who are diagnosed with ovarian cancer are post menopausal.

    I'm not sure if anyone else will post with similar readings, but even if they do it might not shed much light on your own situation.

    Please get back to us if you need any more information or support.  You may find it helpful to talk things through with one of the nurses on our helpline.  The number to call is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and the lines are open from 9am till 5pm Monday to Friday.

    Best wishes,

    Celene

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    Hi Laura,

    I hope you are doing ok, did you manage to find any answers for your elevated ca125 levels? I’m currently going through something similar. I have had consistently raised levels now for 9 months and clear scans. Have had ultrasound and CT but nothing other than a small fibroid has shown up 

  • Offline

    Hello, I hope you’re well? What was the upshot of your raised CA125 levels? My mum had a pain in her abdomen c11 months ago, which then came along with raised levels, it wasn’t until she had a CT scan that it showed she had peritoneal cancer, which is treated in the same way as ovarian, her twin had ovarian cancer at the same time. Since then she has had 8 sessions of chemo, de bulking surgery and is now on immunotherapy. She’s thankfully doing well at the moment. 


    I hope you got the outcome you hoped for…

  • Offline in reply to Hannah_Lou_C

    Hi,

    im 26, I had the ca125 done without knowing after I went to the doctor about changes in bowels. It came back at 50 so I was referred for an urgent ultrasound which came back clear. Followed by similar ca125 levels 3 months later, another clear ultrasound and a repeat ca125 test 3 months after this. still elevated so had CT , was clear

  • Offline in reply to JS0397

    Sorry to hear about your mum, I’m glad to hear she is doing well xx 

  • Offline in reply to JS0397

    Sorry to hear you had the worry, the wait for results and tests is the worst thing, you feel so out of control, glad to hear you’ve got the all clear, the rised levels can mean so many things! 

  • in reply to JS0397

    Hi JS, thanks for posting.

    I am replying as its been a little while since Laura has posted and wanted to make sure you get an answer.

    I am sorry that you are having these worries about a raised CA 125 result, but good to hear that your CT scan was clear.

    Although other peoples stories may seem similar, everyone's situation is quite individual to them. It can be hard to think about anything else when waiting for tests and results but it is best to try and not google for an answer.

    Ca125 levels can be raised for a number of reasons, as it measures any inflammation in a woman's pelvic area which can be due to polycystic ovaries, endometriosis and fibroids. It would be more unusual for it to be a cancer in your age range, but it is still important for the doctors to investigate.

    Take care JS and hopefully you will get all the answers you need soon. If you want to talk things through with one of the nurses on our helpline the number to call is Freephone 0808 800 4040. The lines are open from 9am till 5pm, Monday to Friday.

    Sarah.

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